1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices that aid in the protection of construction workers on job sites, and more specifically to a protective shielding device used to protect workers from impalement, should they fall onto or otherwise come into contact with exposed and protruding concrete reinforcing bars. The protective shield is elongated and rectangular in nature so as to allow shielding of a plurality of linearly aligned reinforcing bars rather than conventional cap-like shields that cover a single bar.
2. Description of the Related Art
Safety in the workplace is among the highest of employer priorities and among the largest areas of employee concern. Accordingly, legislation is continually being defined and put in place in order to improve workplace safety and reduce the amount of worker injuries. These regulations, enacted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), apply to virtually all working scenarios, regardless of to what extent they relate to the actual work being done. However, in the area of construction, these regulations relate heavily and are strictly enforced. Among these construction type regulations, it is quite often a requirement that any concrete reinforcing bars that typically protrude from structures under construction be covered by a protective device in order to prevent the workers from being injured thereby.
Previously designed cap-type protectors consist of a cylindrical cap with securing flutes constructed along the inner wall thereof that create a friction fit when placed upon the reinforcement bars. The surface of the cap consists of a large rectangular flat surface that protects the worker from impalement by spreading the impact force created by a fall over its large surface area. While these devices have proven to be effective in protecting workers from impalement when used in the proper manner, they suffer from several basic drawbacks. First, these protection caps cover only a single reinforcement bar at a time, making the installation and removal of the device overly burdensome and time-consuming. Second, storage and transportation of these devices is unnecessarily difficult due to the shape and size of the cap which cannot be stacked or otherwise arranged in a uniform manner without the use of some sort of container or the like. Third, after extended use, the friction securing means incorporated in these devices tends to wear out, causing the cap to become loose, creating the possibility that they can be blown or otherwise knocked off the reinforcing bars. Finally, the use of single caps allows hoses, lines, electrical cords, etc. to fall in between the protruding reinforcing bars, becoming entangled therein and causing unnecessary burdens.
In the ancillary art, there are several related devices that are intended to perform a variety of functions ranging from providing job-site construction worker protection to providing material protection for pipes, conduits and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,378 and Des. Pat. No. 262,093, both issued in the name of Bush et al., disclose rebar safety caps for placement over the ends of protruding concrete reinforcement bars in order to protect workers from injuries associated with falling onto or otherwise coming into contact therewith. The caps consist of a cylindrical sleeve that forms a friction fit with the reinforcement bars when placed thereon. The sleeve is topped with a large rectangular flat surface that protects the worker from impalement by spreading the impact force created by a fall over the large surface area. While the purpose of this invention is similar in nature to that of the present invention, it suffers from several drawbacks to which the present invention is aimed and successfully overcomes. First, the Bush et al. protection cap covers only a single reinforcement bar at a time, making the installation and removal of the device overly burdensome and time-consuming. Second, storage and transportation of these devices is unnecessarily difficult due to the shape and size of the cap which cannot be stacked or otherwise arranged without the use of some sort of container or the like. Finally, after extended use, the friction securing means incorporated in these devices tends to wear out, causing the cap to become loose, creating the possibility that they can be blown or otherwise knocked off the reinforcing bars.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,472, issued in the name of Shuman, Jr. et al, discloses a fall protection system for bridge construction in which an overhead harnessing system prevents the workers from falling and possibly becoming impaled on protruding reinforcing bars and the like. While this invention does serve to protect construction workers and the like from the same type of impalement injuries as that of the present invention, notwithstanding the obvious differences, it insufficient for several reasons. First, in many cases where safety harnesses have been used in the past, it is well known that workers tend to lapse in their safety awareness and either forget or neglect to use their harness. Second, even on sites where the harnesses are used, their are certain situations where the worker is necessarily unharnessed, for example when entering, leaving or crossing between zones where harness use is required. Finally, use of the harness does not relieve these employers or contractors of the need to comply with both federal and state safety requirements and guidelines that mandate the use of reinforcement bar protection means.
Several patents disclose protective caps for covering the ends of pipes, tubes, bars and the like whose purpose is to protect the material from damage as a result of coming into contact with other surfaces:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,503,189, issued in the name of Lamendola.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,985, issued in the name of Arduini et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,474, issued in the name of Lequeux et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,175, issued in the name of Laemmle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,681, issued in the name of Gray, Jr.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,873,765, issued in the name of Gregory.
These devices are intended to protect delicate materials such as pipe threads, pipe junctions and thin-walled conduits from damage in transportation or during construction. These devices are not intended to, nor do they provide, adequate worker protection from impalement should they fall onto them. Furthermore, it is unclear as to whether these devices even provide scratching or cut protection should one merely brush up against or otherwise come into light contact therewith.
While several features exhibited within these references are incorporated into this invention, alone and in combination with other elements, the present invention is sufficiently different so as to make it distinguishable over the prior art. Consequently, a need has been felt for a means by which construction and other workers at construction sites can be protected from impalement on protruding concrete reinforcing bars should they fall on or otherwise come into contact therewith.